950opsLHcatcher

Just remember to keep me away from the opposing bullpen at FanFest. I've never been worried for my well-being after the game like I was last season. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

He'll be up in a matter of weeks, and I can't wait. Pun intended?

Weeks is on pace to hit 30+ jacks, 40+ doubles and 20+ (!) triples with Nashville. That's on top of more than 20 stolen bases 170 total hits... in AAA. And he'll only get better there. It is almost (but maybe not quite) to the point where I'd deal with the defensive inadequecies at second base. Dauer is a good defensive infield teacher, probably the best in the organization, and Weeks could pick up numerous things from watching Hardy at short and Cirillo at third. I'm no big fan of his defense, but Spivey's offense is so atrocious that his defensive range isn't even starting to make up for it anymore. I guess my only qualm with the way the Brewers have raised him is that he, in my mind, projects as a third baseman, and they should have stuck him at the hot corner awhile ago. It'l hurt the Brewers defensively anywhere he plays this season, but his tools speak more to third long term. Regardless, he should be up soon.

Get us some offense Melvin. Weeks will be up in the next two weeks. Mark my words.

Well, if this is the low point of the season, at least this is the only as bad as it gets. There's always that hope. On the other hand, this could be the start of the BIG SLIDE. Let's hope not.

After the way Gagne ran him over last night, probably. Dave's a smart kid. I'd bet he'd at least put the ball in play tonight. 95% of current major leaguers would have done the same thign Dave did in his first AB against Gagne.

Am I insane for wanting Krynzel to pinch-hit here?

Bill - I was thinking the same thing about the scouting meeting. I guess people really do disagree. We can hash it out at FanFest. I'll bring the chairs. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif But he didn't hit much below the league average and it was a very small sample. It takes even good hitters some time to get acclimated to wood bats. But, he still hit below the league average, and if it takes him some time to adapt to wood bats, where does that leave his development? For instance, both Fielder and Hardy both hit well with wood before being drafted, and they were high school players. If it might take a guy like Braun 3-4 years to get to the bigs, would it really be as good an investment instead of either Zimmerman (who might get there in under 2 years), or Maybin (who might get there in 4-5, but with higher potential)? There's no reason to expect that he'll be unable to do the same with wood... it's guys that don't make solid contact that get helped the most by metal, IMO. In my opinion, guys that don't hit well with wood, or at least league average with wood in their first exposure, shouldn't go #5 if they are a college guy. I think there is enough reason to expect he'll struggle with wood, maybe not right away, but once he gets to AA or so. He might indeed have to cut down on that, but I don't think that's a big deal. He has been able to adjust to pitchers that change speeds very well in college, and his strong wrists and great bat speed make me think that his success isn't just a product of titanium. I want to call you out a little on this - I don't think you can compare college pitching and metal bats with AA pitching and wood bats. The wrist motion counteracts his hand speed, which I will fully admit it excellent. If you were confident that you could change his swing quickly and easily so that he didn't have that extra movement and that his swing was none the worse for it, I'd go for him. However, as much as I like Reid Nichols and his staff... I'd prefer someone with excellent mechanics and results I'd prefer someone who either has excellent mechanics and results right now or is young enough to be worked into having excellent mechanics and results. To me, that's either Zimmerman or Maybin, assuming Gordon isn't available, talking strictly hitters. Braun falls too much in the middle for my tastes. Like I said, if we were drafting at #10, sure, I'd take a flier on him. I agree, but I don't buy the "he can't play third" line. Looking at him in his brief scouting video, he looks decent at third, but his footwork is a little tricky. His arm is good, but if the Brewers already think, for whatever reason, that he'll have to be moved, he has little value to me as a #5 left fielder. Perhaps, but I have more faith in his defensive ability. He played shortstop at Miami for two years... Corey Hart or Brad Nelson he's not. To counterpoint, Nelson was a third baseman and Hart was a shortstop in HS. I know it isn't the same as Miami, but it's not like Braun has been flawless, or even in Zimmerman's league, there. And now both Hart and Nelson have been struggling to learn new positions. I think it is a salient point that defensive proficiency aids development almost much as offensive proficiency. If you don't know where you are playing, or are not comfortable there, it will carry over to the plate. If the Brewers all the sudden decide to switch him to the OF next year, it will affect him, not to mention lessen his value even with the same bat. I don't think the Brewers could have avoided what they did with Nelson (who would have thought they would have drafted Fielder?), but they have screwed Hart. He was a great defensive first baseman, but now between third and the outfield, he's still struggling to play D and hit at the same time. If the first four selections are Upton, Gordon, Tulo, and Zimmerman, the Brewers will have their choice of Braun, Maybin, and Romero. I don't think they'll take Romero, so it's down to Braun vs. Maybin. I'd prefer Braun. I don't think those will be the first four selections. One of those guys will fall, and each of those guys, plus Maybin, I'd take over Braun. I hope Gordon falls, but I couldn't pass up Zimmerman. We need Cirillo #2. I'll bet you a cheese sandwich that Braun (barring injury) is in the big leagues by the end of the 2007 season. Deal? I'll make that a double cheese saying that it'll be 2008, and not with Milwaukee. It's a deal. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

Wait, isn't Overbay supposed to be the savior at first base, and we're supposed to trade Fielder? Right.

Premium Grain Belt ahoy.

I have an inkling that it is just a matter of time before we see Weeks. I don't think Spivey will get released, but Melvin has to dispose of him somehow.

Khalil Greene hit .211 and Charles Thomas hit .206 there in 1999, for example (just a quick glance at the archived stats). I guess I'd want more inspiration than Greene or Charles Thomas (!) when it comes to pimping a player. If he just didn't hit with a wood bat, that's worrisome. 50 AB isn't a whole lot, but if he's supposed to be destroying the ball, he should be destroying the ball. And the comment about hitting very well against NCAA pitching doesn't really hold a lot of water - lots of guys have hit well against NCAA pitching (even guys at top programs) and not done jack in the minors, much less the majors. Why? I think it has a lot to do with the metal bats, which brings me back to my worry about him not making good contact with the wood. To me that's just a loading technique, not really a "hitch"... he does it before he swings, not during the swing (which is what I assumed scouts were referring to). The difference between what you're saying and what I'm seeing is that the circle is part of the swing - there's no gap between it and the swing itself. Successful hitters in the bigs with lots of movement in their swings stop the movement before their swing - Braun doesn't. In essence, his swing turns into a figure eight because the circle is in reaction to the pitch, not a timing thing. Pre-swing motion doesn't adjust to the pitch being thrown - his wrist motion seems to be doing that. I think that's a pretty huge swing problem, that can be made up for with a metal bat and quick hands. Could he be successful with it? Maybe. Would I want to take that chance with the 5th pick? Nope. I'd take him sometime after 10. He might indeed have to eliminate that, but there are very few hitters with the kind of bat speed that Braun has... I'll give you the bat speed part, but I don't want any part of a college hitter whose swing you're going to have to rework. If he was a HS player, sure. If Rogers had been a college pitcher with his old HS mechanics, would you have taken him where the Brewers took him? And I have to disagree with you re: the loft issue... he hits a ton of line drives and hard flyballs, but just not very many towering popups/flyballs with a lot of backspin. Exactly - he's a strong gap hitter with a metal bat. I don't know how he's going to turn out once he switches to wood, but he's certainly not going to be hitting the ball any harder right away. Going back to your Khalil Greene reference, I'd be fine with him if he were a SS, but he's not. He may not even be a third baseman. For me, the question has always been whether he could remain at third-base or shortstop. If he has to move to left field, this would be an even worse pick. At least Zimmerman/Tulowitski/Gordon can all play in the infield without a doubt. And at least Maybin is actually an outfielder. Players with no real position bother me. Looking at the Brewers' defense lately, I'd rather they not continue the trend of trying to find new positions for guys later on. It has already backfired on Hart and Nelson. I'd opt for Gordon or Zimmerman (maybe) or Romero ahead of him, but that's it. One of those three guys will be there when the Brewers pick, so this won't even be an issue, or at least it shouldn't be. Braun's a first round talent, but he's not a #5 talent, IMO. You can't have pretty big questions about a swing hitch and potential defensive position with a college guy with the 5th pick in the draft. If the Brewers do pick him, I'll wish him luck, but I honestly think it won't work out very well for them. Jack Z. is bound to slip up sometime, and this may be it.

I see an good-hitting metal bat guy who struggled with wood. Looking at his swing, I think I see the hitch that could be problematic. It was most noticable when he didn't swing at a pitch in the batting cage - he has quite a bit of a elbow flicker out and the back in before he swings, which makes him late getting the bat through the zone. He has quick hands, as he shows on defense, but he has way too much movement at the plate to get away with it effectively at the next level without some pretty big adjustments. He also doesn't loft the ball much from what I've seen of him, and that'll get worse with the wood bat. I wouldn't touch him with the 5th pick after seeing the video.

Braun seems a little too much like Antone Williamson for my tastes. I hope we don't take him. Gordon falling into our laps would be sweet, but it looks like one of Gordon, Maybin or Zimmerman will be available for our pick, and I'd take any one of them over Braun.

I'd argue that Ben was pitching well through the fourth (even despite giving up the two jacks), but he totally lost it in the fifth inning. It was obvious he wasn't getting his curve over, and was telegraphing fastballs after he couldn't find the zone with them. He's our ace, yes, but you have to pull your ace when he's struggling, which he obviously was in the fifth. Never should have gone out for the sixth. Anyone who has seen Sheets pitch in the past should know this. Compounding this Yost ineptitude was not pinch hitting Overbay for Helms when Carrera came in, but oh well.